01: Image - ► PlayC00: Thoughtforms
For a moment, as you pry the practically-empty shell's mind, you see... nothing. This is all new to you; all of the subjects that had held you during 90% seal power all had personalities. You would soon be engulfed in their thoughts until you were
them, but upon release you would retain full memory of what you learned.
But as you ponder over the empty expanse, you catch glimpse of a seed. It falls down into the ground, bathed in light. It burrows, deeper and deeper. Grass springs forth the empty expanse, as a sapling emerges from the soil. It grows, increasing in height. Vegetation branches from the trunk, as they expand ever taller and majestic, flowers blossoming from the ends. The trunk itself enlarges; accommodating the mass as branches spring forth and away from its source. Finally, it all settles, and magnificent conifer leaves crown the entire structure.
You realize that all this still isn't the comatose person's thoughts - but yours. The knowledge you gleaned from the previous subjects have been enough to create a basic instinct on your psyche, if you can call what you have a psyche. You have a desire for improvement, first and foremost. You will never have enough knowledge; there is more to be learned. More souls to absorb the knowledge from. Seals to bypass and improve your powers upon. Most importantly, you will improve so that you will improve yourself in the future. You will stop at nothing to achieve this. That is your Id.
"C-Chief, Subject 017's hand is twitching!"
"Splendid, tell me if you gather more readings, Dr. Ishikawa! We may finally have perfected the cure for these kinds of paralysis!"Chief Sagami paced around the room, supervising his team as they monitor the effects of handing the
Maken over to an individual without a personality. #017 was a rarity; very few are diagnosed both comatose and retaining zero retrograde memory, but with the advances of science, it has become much easier to identify vegetable minds. In five months time, Chief Sagami is scheduled to handle Media coverage over the project, in order to continue securing funding for the research. This has put somewhat of a strain to his mind, but more importantly, the breakthroughs since the past three months with over fifteen subjects has motivated him and his crew to work harder with the project.
Glancing down on the clipboard practically fused to his hands, he compares previous assessments over today's readings. He sees a noted spike of 67% synchronization rejection compared to the last one's 5% rejection. A worrying frown gradually appears.
The thought-world begins to collapse, as you struggle to construct a personality for the person to fulfill an innate desire to control an individual. However, without a psychological gestalt to begin with, your inadequate knowledge for the Human psyche causes synchronization rejection, and the thought-world finally crashes.
The heart rate monitor flatlines, as everything fades away.
You are once again alone in your own thoughts.
Did the lessons learned from entering human psyches allow you to empathize better, and thus make you to strive for symbiotic compatibility above all functions? Did they only serve to strengthen your desire to dominate? Or... did you have a different realization over the experience?<== | ==>